http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/archive/2008/02/22/notes-from-the-nfl-combine.aspx
Notes from the NFL combine
By Rob Reischel
Friday, Feb 22 2008, 04:17 PM
Indianapolis - Owen Schmitt of West Virginia is the top rated fullback at
the NFL combine. And the tiny town of Gilman, Wis., should be proud.

Schmitt spent much of his childhood in Gilman, a city of just 400, where he
lived with his grandparents until he was in eighth grade. Schmitt then moved
to Virginia to live with his mother and later became an all-conference
fullback at Fairfax (Va.) High.

Schmitt didn't have any scholarship offers after his senior year at Fairfax,
so he returned to Wisconsin to play for John O'Grady at UW-River Falls.
Schmitt had once attended one of O'Grady's summer camps and the two remained
in touch.

After one year at River Falls, Schmitt dropped off a tape at West Virginia.
Mountaineers' coach Rich Rodriguez called shortly thereafter and asked
Schmitt to walk on.

Over the next three seasons, the 6-foot-2, 247-pound Schmitt developed into
arguably the finest fullback in the country. And today, most prognosticators
believe Schmitt will be a mid-round selection.

"When I look back ... where I've been, it's been a long journey and I
wouldn't change it," Schmitt said. "It's been an experience and there's
still a whole other chapter to open up. So hopefully I can do as well as I
can here and somebody will take a wild chance on me and I'll show them what
I can do."

Schmitt was going to enlist in the Army after high school, when O'Grady gave
him a chance. Schmitt ran with that opportunity, and eventually led the way
for all-American running back Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White.

"He's a tough nut," Vikings coach Brad Childress said of Schmitt. "He loves
football. You can tell that by the way he plays. You can tell that by the
way he interviews."

Schmitt became a campus legend when he twisted the facemask on several
helmets that he wore while delivering punishing blocks.

"Those things are steel," Rodriguez said. "They're not easy to bend."

Schmitt, who decided to get a mohawk a year ago, hopes that his toughness
and blue collar mentality leads to big things in the next few months.

"I think blocking's fun," Schmitt said. "That's just my mentality. Running
the ball's awesome, too, but I'll let the fast guys do that."

Other notes from today:

a.. I asked Michigan wide receiver Adrian Arrington if he would have
returned for his senior season had Lloyd Carr stayed as head coach. "Yes, I
would have," Arrington said. Another reporter asked if Arrington would have
come back had quarterback Ryan Mallett stayed. Again, Arrington answered
yes. Both developments are probably good news for Badger fans.
b.. Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall is another standout junior
that left the Big Ten early. His reasons? "Just being on the field, just
having that opportunity, that chance," he said. "My first two years I wasn't
on the field as much. My junior year was my first year of being on the field
and I was productive because of it."
c.. Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan could very well be the No. 1
overall pick. But he won't throw here. "We have a bubble up over our stadium
at BC," Ryan said. "We've got great conditions to throw on Pro Day. For me,
I want to portray to the teams that are going to be looking at my skills in
an accurate representation of what it would be like in a game situation. I
want to throw to the guys I know and give the teams a chance to look at what
I'm capable of doing."
d.. Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco has gotten a lot of publicity as a
small school player ready to make it big. Flacco is projected in many
circles to be one of the first five quarterbacks taken and could go in the
first two rounds. "I keep saying if I wasn't myself I don't know if I'd like
myself too much right now," Flacco said. "I'd probably be sick of myself."
e.. The RCA Dome will be torn down this summer, but the combine will
remain in Indianapolis until at least 2010 when the current contract
expires. "We'll shed a tear as we blow the Dome up," Colts coach Tony Dungy
said. "But it's been a great home for us. It's been great to see how it's
transformed as the home of the Colts. When I came here seven years ago it
was a great place to play, but I think it has become even more of that. I
think our fans have really identified, a lot more blue and white jerseys at
the games. It was a great time. We're looking forward to going into our new
stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium. This is probably the last football-related event
that's here. It will be nostalgic in a way."

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